1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention relate to a wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) interfacing method and system using the method which supports a mesh operation mode using a single Wi-Fi interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
A wireless network under the IEEE 802.11 standard is generally performed by an access point which provides a wireless network of a basic service set (BSS). The BSS is identified by a unique value of a service set identifier (SSID), and stations within the BSS (hereinafter, these are referred to as BSS objects), which need a wireless service, ascertain whether a joinable network exists via scanning, connect with a corresponding access point when the joinable network exists, and use the wireless service when being connected to the access point.
A need for a mesh function which supports a multi-hop environment has been under discussion, and standardization with respect to the mesh function is briskly under conduction in IEEE 802.11s Task Group (TG). In contrast with a conventional BSS network, the mesh function supports direct communication between nodes (these are referred to as mesh points), and has a characteristic of a multi-hop environment, the multi-hop environment relaying a packet being transmitted from another node to an appropriate mesh point. In such a new kind of network, establishment is simple, and network expansion is easily performed without interoperating with a wired network since networking is automatically configured when a power is supplied. Accordingly, a network structure of the mesh point is dynamic and flexible, in contrast with the conventional BSS network.
A mesh access point, which combines the access point function with a mesh point function, is provided. Similar to the access point, the mesh access point relays a packet being transmitted from a BSS object by providing a conventional wireless network service, the BSS object using a corresponding network service. In this instance, each of a mesh basic service set (MBSS) and the BSS is generally supported on a different network interface since the each of the MBSS and the BSS is differently operated under a different condition. However, as a number of interfaces becomes great, a size of a communication terminal becomes greater, accordingly manufacturing costs becomes greater.
Accordingly, a new technique which can effectively process Wi-Fi interfacing and can solve problems of the conventional art by using a single Wi-Fi interface in the course of supporting a plurality of mesh operation modes is disclosed in the specification of the present invention.